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Our Staff

Prof. Ben Sihanya
, JSD (Stanford)
Prof Ben Sihanya is a legal scholar, public intellectual, professor-in-residence, researcher, advocate, consultant, mentor and poet at the University of Nairobi Law School. He is the founder and CEO of Innovative Lawyering (IL) and Sihanya Mentoring (SM), a legal consulting and mentoring practice in Nairobi. He was educated at the University of Nairobi Law School, University of Warwick and Stanford Law School where he obtained his JSD (PhD). Sihanya has served as Dean of Law and as Chair of the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Nairobi Law School. Sihanya has about 26 years cumulative experience in teaching, research, mentoring, consulting and interdisciplinary public interest lawyering with a focus on constitutional democracy and governance; copyright, intellectual property and innovation; education, training and mentoring law; communication law; and business and ICT law. Prof Ben Sihanya, through IL and SM, has consulted for the for the following Governments, ministries and bodies on numerous occasions for the Kenyan Ministries of Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology, Trade, Industrialisation, Ministry of the East African Community; the Judiciary; State Law Office (SLO), the Directorate of e-strategy in the Office of the President, Tanzania Communications Commission (TCC), the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), Kenya National Office of the Auditor-General (KENAO), and the Committee of Eminent Persons (COEP) on constitutional review, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya, and Kituo cha Sheria (Legal Advice Centre.)

Sihanya has also consulted for intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the East African Community (EAC), Consumers International (CI), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), and World Trade Organisation (WTO).

He is the author or editor of several books, monographs and peer reviewed articles including Intellectual Property and Innovation in Kenya and Africa: Transferring Technology for Sustainable Development (forthcoming 2015); Constitutional Democracy in Kenya and Africa (forthcoming 2015); Education law and policy in Kenya (forthcoming 2015); Intellectual Property Rights in Kenya, Konrad-Adeneur-Stiftung, Nairobi (with Moni Wekesa, eds, 2009.)

Prof Ben Sihanya has been a key note speaker at various symposia, including at the international conference on science, technology and industrialization at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT); at the 60 Years of German Constitution (2009); the East African Law Society Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Seminars in Bujumbura, Burundi and Zanzibar on April 14-16, 2014. Sihanya has studied, taught and lectured in at least 23 countries in Africa, the United States (US), South America, and Europe. Some of the articles and presentations he has made are available on this site.

Sihanya is the Chair of Kenya’s Copyright Tribunal and is a former member of the Kenya Copyright Board. In July 2015, Sihanya was appointed to the Board of Directors, Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI). Prof Sihanya chaired the Drafting Committee of Kenya’s National Task Force to Realign Education to the Constitution 2010 and Vision 2030. Consequently, he led in the drafting of relevant legislation including the Basic Education Act 2013. He has also chaired the committees on drafting regulations under the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Act 2012-14 and the Kenya National Examinations Commission (KNEC) Act. Sihanya was appointed as a Lead Consultant in the 2014/2015 period on the Commission of Revenue Allocation project on County Revenue Law, ensuring that the Bills and laws met the constitutional, legislative and policy standards. He was an official observer in the 2007 and 2013 Kenyan (presidential) elections under the auspices of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), accredited by the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), respectively.

Mr. Erick Naibei
Mr. Erick Naibei is the Programme Manager, Constitutional Law and Democracy programme at IL & SM.
He is interested in governance, devolution and constitutional law practice.
He has just completed his final (fourth) year LLB course at the University of Nairobi Law School.

Ms. Lydia Kemunto
Ms Lydia Kemunto Getanda is the Co-Manager, Admin & Finance: HR, Operations & Compliance at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She is currently undertaking Certified Public Secretary training from KASNEB. Her main research interests are in Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Governance, Conveyancing, and Litigation, among others.

Mr. Abraham Mumo
Mr Abraham Mumo is the Programme Manager of the Education Law & Mentoring Programme at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons) degree from Mount Kenya University. His main research interests are Intellectual Property Law, ICT Law, Law of Corporates.

Ms. Cynthia Amutete
Ms Cynthia Amutete is the Programme Manager of the Intellectual Property Law & Innovation Law Programme at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. Her main research interests are in intellectual property law especially the law of copyright and related rights, among others.

Mr. Daniel Jumah
Mr Daniel Jumah is an intern and research assistant at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons) degree from Moi University. His main research interests include Constitutionalism, Governance, Devolution and Land Law.

Mr. Topua Lesinko
Mr Topua Lesinko is an intern and research assistant in the Constitutional Law Programme at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. His research interest are Democracy & Governance, Devolution, Land Law and Transnational Justice.

Mr. Christopher Oyier
Mr Christopher Oyier is an intern and research assistant at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. His main research interests include Constitutionalism, Governance, Devolution, Human Rights and Land Law.

Mr. Ekusi Lore
Mr Ekusi Lore is an intern and research assistant at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. His main research interests include Constitutionalism, Governance, Devolution and Land Law.

Mr. Wellington Ochieng'
Mr Wellington Ochieng is an intern and research assistant in the constitutional law programme at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring, ICT Law, Business Law & Corporate Governance at Innovative Lawyering & Sihanya Mentoring. He is currently a student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology studying Bachelors of Science (Mathematics). His research interest are in Science, Mathematics, ICT, Business & Corporate Governance